The Mountain's Keeper

<p><strong>Julian </strong>I'm the town's sunshine. The friendly baker who smiles at everyone remembers every order and pretends he isn't going home to an empty apartment every night.</p><p>Then there's him. The Mountain Man. Silas is six-foot-six of scarred silent intensity. He comes in every Tuesday at 2 PM like clockwork. He orders black coffee and a muffin pays in exact change and leaves without a word.</p><p>He thinks I don't notice him watching me. He thinks I don't see the loneliness behind his gray eyes. I made a special muffin flavor just for him-The Mountain Man. He took it same as always. I thought he didn't care. I was wrong.</p><p><strong>Silas </strong>I'm a monster. I know it. The town knows it. My scars are a map of everything I failed to save and I belong alone on this mountain. But I can't stay away from the bakery. I can't stay away from him.</p><p>Julian is the only bright thing in my world. I'm too broken to touch him too damaged to speak to him. So I just collect the muffins. I freeze them. I label them. A freezer full of proof that for thirty seconds a week someone smiled at me like I was human.</p><p>But when a historic blizzard traps Julian on the mountain I'm the only one who can save him. Now he's in my cabin. In my bed. And he just found the freezer.</p><p>Tropes:</p><ul><li>Grumpy x Sunshine</li><li>Hurt/Comfort (Heavy)</li><li>Forced Proximity (Snowed In)</li><li>Touch Starvation</li><li>Size Difference (6'6 vs 5'8)</li><li>Military/PTSD Rep</li></ul><p>The Mountain's Keeper is a steamy M/M romance with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers.</p>